The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems (IHSs), and more particularly to an interconnect signal transmission system for transmitting interconnect signals between IHSs and/or devices connected to IHSs.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Conventional IHSs and IHS devices (e.g., docking stations) typically include multiple ports associated with different interconnect technologies, and thus require multiple cables to transmit interconnect signals to other IHSs or IHS devices through those ports. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable may be required to connect a device to a USB port on an IHS, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable may be required to connect a device to an HDMI port on the IHS, a Video Graphics Array (VGA) cable may be required to connect a device to a VGA port on the IHS, an Ethernet cable may be required to connect a device to an Ethernet port on the IHS, and so on. Thus, the connection of a plurality of devices to an IHS may quickly create an unmanageable number of cables. Furthermore, many devices that connect to the IHS will each include their own power cable, resulting in more cables to deal with and necessitating multiple power outlets. Further still, the IHS and/or IHS devices may only include a limited number external interconnect technology connections.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide improved systems and methods for transmitting interconnect signals.